Evaluation of toxic air pollutants in an urban neighborhood adjacent to a municipal waste landfill

In response to community concerns, a comprehensive toxic air pollutant measurement study was carried out in a low-income community in the Cincinnati metropolitan area. The study was directed by a collaborative board with representatives from the City, County, State, and Federal environmental agencies, community organizations and local industries. The community studied was surrounded by many potential sources of toxic air pollution including manufacturing facilities, highways and solid-waste landfills. Emission of toxic chemicals from the nearby municipal landfill was of particular concern. Air sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOC), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), particulate matter, metals, and acid gases, was performed by the County Department of Environmental Services from September 1997 to September 1998. The sampling network consisted of four community sites and one comparison site located in another area of the City. Toxic materials found in the landfill gas and that were detected greater than 50% of the time during community monitoring include acetone, benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylene. A receptor model for landfill and vehicle emissions was developed. This model suggested that approximately 20% of the measured toluene and xylene, 40% of the ethylbenzene, and greater than 90% of perchloroethylene and methylene chloride concentrations in the community were from the landfill. Relationships between air toxic concentration and time downwind of the landfill were also studied. This study shows that a municipal-waste landfill can be a significant contributor of toxic air pollutants in a neighboring community.